You Can Go Back to the Office—You Just Need a Virtual-Reality Headset - The Wall Street Journal

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With a virtual-reality headset and a virtual meeting platform like Spatial, you can meet up and collaborate with your colleagues as if you were in a real office space. WSJ’s Joanna Stern transformed into a holographic avatar and got in a virtual elevator to test it out. Photo illustration: Adam Falk

By

Joanna Stern

Sept. 28, 2020 7:00 am ET

Sometimes, when I’m sick of being boxed in on the video-chat checkerboard, I slip into my 3-D holographic self and wander, like a floating digital ghost, in search of colleagues.

Sometimes we meet in a virtual conference room overlooking the mountains. Sometimes we just chat in an elevator to nowhere. Yes, my elevator.

Sure, I’m physically in my tiny basement office wearing an Oculus Quest virtual-reality headset, but it feels like I’ve actually escaped to my good old office building, which these days sounds as blissful as a beach in Bora Bora.

This will make a lot more sense when you watch my video on how VR is becoming one of the best ways to remotely connect with your colleagues.

When it became clear we weren’t returning to the office soon, I began spending more time in three VR meetings and social platforms: Spatial, Mozilla Hubs and Microsoft-owned AltspaceVR. Think Zoom but with holograms and real virtual backgrounds. Instead of 2-D video, you turn into a 3-D avatar and interact with others, who see virtual you but hear real you.

Accenture's ‘Nth Floor’ is a virtual office in AltspaceVR where employees can meet.

Photo: Accenture

It’s not just me. Design teams at Mattel use Spatial to review 3-D designs of new toys, including Barbie’s latest DreamHouse. Pfizer uses it to orient and train new employees at manufacturing sites. At Accenture, employees can go to the “Nth Floor” in AltspaceVR to meet up with colleagues in a virtual cafeteria or attend an all-hands meeting.

And you can do it, too. Here’s how you get started.

Step 1: Get a headset

The biggest problem with this whole thing? Your colleagues are more likely to own VCRs than VR headsets.

My top pick for a headset is the $299-and-up Oculus Quest 2. Made by the Facebook subsidiary, this just-announced device has improved screen resolution; a lightweight design; new, simplified controllers; and a lower starting price than its predecessor. It starts shipping Oct. 13. Plus, all three virtual platforms I tested work on the Quest 2 and the original Oculus Quest headset. Spatial and AltspaceVR are available in the Quest App Store; Mozilla Hubs is accessible through the headset’s web browser. The biggest downside of the Quest? It requires a Facebook account.

The Oculus Quest 2 starts at $299 and is due to begin shipping in October.

Photo: Kenny Wassus/The Wall Street Journal

Spatial also works on augmented-reality headsets, such as Microsoft’s $3,500 HoloLens 2 and the $2,295 Magic Leap, but those are quite pricey and more focused on enterprise applications. Besides, AR doesn’t virtually transport you away from your living room. It just overlays objects inside it.

Spatial and Mozilla Hubs have web versions, too, so your avatar can join virtual spaces right from your web browser. Spatial will even let you jump into AR via its coming iPhone and Android apps. AltspaceVR has Mac and Windows apps. These are nice backups—the experience is nowhere near as immersive as it is with a VR headset.

Step 2: Pick a platform

My favorite is Spatial. And that’s not only because the company re-created a virtual version of my beloved three-wall elevator interview set.

Unlike AltspaceVR and Mozilla Hubs, where avatars look more like customizable cartoon characters, with Spatial your avatar looks like you—a creepy, tweaky, robo-phantasmic version of you. Sign up for an account on the company’s website, upload a photo of yourself and out pops 3-D hologram you. When I “met” with my producer, Adam Falk, in Spatial, seeing his familiar (though slightly more chiseled) face made it easier to talk and relate to him.

Pfizer uses Spatial's virtual meeting rooms and 3-D tools for employee training.

Photo: Pfizer

In fact, the first time, I was blown away at how much it felt like I had actually just hung out with him. The presence of the elevator, where I have spent so many hours rehearsing and interviewing, added to the realness of the experience. I even found my body language changing and mimicking my real-life elevator movement. (Hands folded by my waist; eyes looking up.)

According to Anand Agarawala, Spatial’s CEO and co-founder, the company will release a way for users to upload their own 3-D environments soon. For now, Spatial offers standard virtual meeting rooms. Sorry, no dream elevator for you. All three of the platforms are free to use.

Step 3: Get others to join

Just like a Zoom call, you can invite others to join your room or event.

I’m considering creating a “Colleaguehood of the Traveling Headset” (inspired by one of my all-time favorite movies) where I send a second headset—with the appropriate disinfecting supplies—to those I miss being with most. People at Mattel and Accenture said they’ve bought VR and AR headsets for groups of employees around the world.

Share Your Thoughts

Which technologies have you used to feel closer to colleagues during the pandemic? Have you had any VR or AR experiences? Join the conversation below.

Eventually some of us will go back to the office in some shape or form, but like so much of the tech story during this pandemic, our use and reliance on new technologies won’t just fade away.

“There is a near future where your next phone or computer is going to be glasses,” Mr. Agarawala said. “In that future, your FaceTime becomes 3-D.”

In that case, I’ll see you all in my elevator.

Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com

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September 28, 2020 at 06:00PM
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You Can Go Back to the Office—You Just Need a Virtual-Reality Headset - The Wall Street Journal

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